Let’s face it, people don’t go into teaching because they want to get rich. It’s a noble profession, one whose rewards tend to be of a personal nature. Teachers derive great satisfaction from seeing their students succeed and go on to have good academic careers. Some say the best teachers are those that instill a love of learning for its own sake and instill self-discipline in their students, which serves them well throughout their lives.

However, teachers often have to seek additional sources of income to make ends meet and to keep money coming in during the summer months. Fortunately, they’re uniquely qualified for a lot of side gigs that help them augment their salary and provide some needed discretionary income. And, the Internet makes it easy to find good-paying work that’s rewarding and flexible.

Online teaching

Unless you just need to get away from teaching for a while, there are some excellent opportunities to continue plying your trade in the summer. VIPkid is a site that hires teachers to teach English to Chinese children through one-on-one online instruction. The requirements are not overly demanding (a bachelor’s degree and at least 1 year of teaching experience), and you can make more than $20 per hour. Best of all, it’s flexible; you can set your own hours based on availability. VIPkid also offers potential for long-term, year-round earning because the work doesn’t overlap with your normal teaching hours.

Tutoring

There’s always a year-round need for tutors. Foreign students often require help learning English and improving in subjects including composition and literary studies. You can set yourself up as an independent tutor which offers year-round work and profitability. If going solo isn’t your thing, why not sign up with Wyzant, a website that fits students with tutors who get to establish their own hourly rates? Some tutors make up to $60 per hour. This is another flexible opportunity and one that won’t cause problems with your teaching schedule since you’ll be working with students after school and during the summer.

Online courses

One of the more lucrative online teaching opportunities is through a platform called Udemy, which allows you to teach online courses to students all over the world on a wide range of subjects. You can market your experience and expertise in ways that can be quite profitable, with the possibility of earning thousands of dollars every month. It’s a different kind of instruction than the one you’re used to since the majority of students are adult professionals. You probably won’t be able to adapt curriculum from your fourth-grade English class. But the potential for good, long-term earnings makes it well worth the time and effort.

Market your schoolwork

Speaking of curricula, you can also get paid for the lesson plans and educational materials you create during the school year through sites such as TeachersPayTeachers. Your pay is based on the number of people who purchase your work, but this can also be a lucrative side gig.

Right up your alley

Writing is one of those special skills you have as a teacher that can easily translate into a profitable side gig. There are countless freelance writing jobs available on the Internet, from writing blogs to marketing content and academic writing. This is the perfect way to make extra income if you’re an English or composition teacher who has a background teaching others to write. Some sites connect you with college students all over the world who need help writing research papers and dissertations in English.

Side business

If you’re looking for something that’s outside the scope of education, many people are making excellent money these days with business ideas that are growing in popularity, like decorative phone cases and wireless earphones. These high-performing ventures offer stability and long-term profitability if you’re looking to start your own business.

As a teacher, you deserve to succeed financially as well as professionally. Finding the right side gig or starting your own business takes dedication, tenacity and vision. But with planning and hard work, you can earn the kind of money that can provide long-term security and unimagined financial opportunities.

Joyce Wilson is passionate about teaching and loves using her writing to help teachers, parents, and students. She worked as a teacher for decades. She believes knowledge is the key to a more successful and fruitful life. Her website is TeacherSpark.org.

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